Skopje, 7 June 2026 (MIA) – As part of the EU’s Roam Like at Home (RLAH) initiative, a meeting will be held on June 12 between Western Balkans ministers and European Commission representatives, launching negotiations on sectoral agreements with each of the six Western Balkan countries to discuss the main elements of the negotiating framework, next steps as well as each country's readiness.  

Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski told Sunday's press briefing that the RLAH initiative represents one of the most visible benefits of joining the European Union, as it directly impacts citizens and companies, especially those traveling within the European Union, allowing for lower mobile costs, text messages, and mobile internet.

"Negotiating with each country individually is a positive approach. It means that the sooner we meet the conditions and the faster the process runs, the sooner we will complete it. I expect negotiations to be completed this year, then we settle the text of the agreement, so it can be passed at a government session and be ratified by the Parliament, so we are ready to be the first to start this process in the Western Balkans. I sincerely hope it will be January 2027," Andonovski said. 

According to him, this process means cutting down or eliminating extra costs for citizens or companies when traveling and communicating with European Union countries. 

"We have completed the key part of the preparation on our end. The regulatory package, with the amendments to the Law on Electronic Communications and the amendments to the by-laws, has been drafted. The Government approved the law and sent it to the European Commission for an opinion. We are talking about four regulations and directives, and the COD directive, which have been implemented and we expect to receive a response after the start of negotiations," said Andonovski.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation, he added, is ready for the start of this process, having already set up a negotiating team consisting of representatives of several competent institutions.  

"The Council of the European Union approved the opening of negotiations with the Western Balkan countries on June 4, and the next step is negotiations on sectoral agreements with each country individually, which will begin with the first meeting of the Western Balkan ministers with the European Commission on June 12. After that, we expect to be briefed on the basic parameters of the negotiating framework, what it will look like, the process and deadlines, and immediately after that, we will begin negotiations on our part," Andonovski noted.  

The European Electronic Communications Code is one of the key legal acts that are part of the European legislation related to the RLAH, and its transposition is an important prerequisite for joining European roaming.

Photo/video: MIA